


In My Room

by afrikate



Series: Pet Sounds [5]
Category: Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: AU, M/M, Multi, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-07
Updated: 2010-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-09 08:39:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/85196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrikate/pseuds/afrikate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When did his little sister start sounding so wise?</p>
            </blockquote>





	In My Room

**Author's Note:**

> Fifth in an unfinished (and never-to-be-finished) series.

They'd spent the day together on his boat, just hanging out. They hadn't even talked that much, just taken the time to relax as much as they could. It had been, Nick reflected, one of the most stress-free days he'd had in... he couldn't remember the last time he was stress-free. That should probably tell him something.

Now he lay on his bed in track pants and a t-shirt, listening to "Pet Sounds." Eyes closed, he sang along, matching the harmonies. The music stung bruises he couldn't see, reminding him they were there. As if he could forget.

The bed dipped with weight and for a brief, fleeting moment he thought it was Chris. Nothing about Leslie resembled Chris, though, and he extended an arm to her. She curled up next to him, leaving distance. He was grateful that she was quiet, not trying to sing with him, or talk, even.

When the CD stopped, she stayed quiet a minute, then said, "Not your usual stuff."

"I guess not."

"Do you want to talk?" When did his little sister start sounding so wise?

"I think... I think I need to."

"Not to me, though?"

She sounded calm about it, but he rolled over to look her in the eye anyway. "It's not... that I don't want to. With you. And maybe, before you go... But. I. They. We need to. There're things we don't say because we're. Scared. And, stubborn. And we end up f— having sex, which doesn't. Fix. Anything." He searched for a way to explain to her and himself.

"We. It's different. For—" he caught himself, "us. Things have. Changed."

He talked for a while and didn't say a whole lot, and Leslie eventually, when he paused, called him on it.

"I know you won't, can't tell me who because of mom. It's cool. I saw on some show, it's called plausible deniability. But. You gotta figure out what's going on and talk to 'them.' Because. People hurt you enough, big brother. Mandy—" deep breath, "You'll probably never tell me the whole story. And it's ok. But. Getting better taste—which you did, right?" At his nod she continued, "Better taste doesn't mean you still can't get your heart broken. And I don't want that to happen. I'd have to hunt whoever down and kick hi— their ass and it would just suck. So. Figure it out. Make a list or something. I'll help, if you want. Jenna says I ask the right questions. So. Let me know."

Nick watched his little sister a minute, touched her hair, then hugged her. They were all fucked up, but she seemed to have figured something out. More than him, at least.

"Thanks, Les,"

She smiled and said, "No prob. I'm going to bed. Want me to get the lights?"

"Yeah," he said, and "'Night."

"G'night, Nick." She smiled and headed to bed.

After she was gone, Nick continued to lay on his back on the bed, eyes open in the dim light of the night-table lamp. And then he rolled off the bed and found a piece of paper, the other side of an old tour   
schedule he thought, and a pen. He chewed the pencap as he wrote.


End file.
